Looking for more in Reading and Stories?

Scotland's Stories: terms and conditions

1. The competition will be organised and administered by Scottish Book Trust (the “Organisers”).

2. Submission to the collection of Scotland’s Stories: Hope on the Scottish Book Trust website is open to anyone over the age of 16. All Entrants resident in Scotland will be considered for the final book except Scottish Book Trust employees, their close relatives or any person connected to the competition. Proof of identity and eligibility may be requested.

3. All submissions that meet the criteria will be featured on the Scottish Book Trust website for as long as the Entrant wishes. Entrants can contact info@scottishbooktrust.com to remove their submission from the website at any point.

4. Entrants must be unpublished writers. This means they must not have published a novel, narrative non-fiction book (e.g. biography or memoir), a collection of short stories or poems. However, if all their work has been self-published, digitally published, published in a pamphlet or as part of an anthology or magazine they will still be eligible. Scottish Book Trust reserves the right to commission a limited number of pieces from published authors and other well-known personalities for inclusion in the book and to support publicising the campaign.

5. Entrants must write a piece on the theme of Hope. Stories should be true and can be about anything that Hope means to the Entrant. Entries can be in different literary forms e.g. a story, poem, diary entry, song, letter etc. Participants are encouraged to use any of these forms. 

6. Entries must be no more than 1,000 words. The Organisers reserve the right to ask Entrants to edit any piece to comply with the word limit. The Organisers further reserve the right to copy edit and proofread entries to ensure the sense of the text.

7. Entries must be typed, written in English, Gaelic or Scots and all stories must have a title.

8. Video or audio submissions via either YouTube or SoundCloud URL links will also be accepted. It is the entrants’ responsibility to ensure any URL links are accurate and publicly accessible. The Organiser may choose to provide a transcript of audio/video submissions where necessary. We reserve the right to deny publication of any submission we deem to be defamatory or offensive.

9. The competition opens 26 March 2024. Unsolicited entries received before this date will not be considered.

10. Entries must be submitted either:

a. via the submission form on the Scottish Book Trust website

b. or by post to the following address:

FAO: Rachel Gray/Scotland’s Stories: Hope

Scottish Book Trust

Sandeman House

Trunk’s Close

55 High St

Edinburgh, EH1 1SR

Please note that postal submissions may take longer to appear on our website. 

11. The Organisers will only ever use personal details for the purposes of administering and evaluating this competition. Please see Scottish Book Trust's Privacy Policy.

12. Closing time for entries is midnight on 7 June 2024. Submissions received after this time will not be considered. Entries will not be returned so please remember to keep a copy. Unsuccessful entrants will be contacted after the deadline. However, due to the volume of entries Scottish Book Trust receives it is not possible to provide feedback on individual submissions. 

13. Entrants can only enter individually – but entries can be scribed by tutors if appropriate. They may not submit more than one entry.

14. All entries must be the original work of the Entrant and must not infringe the rights of any other party. The Organisers accept no liability if Entrants ignore these rules and Entrants agree to fully indemnify the Organisers against any claims by any third party arising from any breach of these rules. Any entries that infringe of the rights of any other party will be disqualified.

15. All entries that make reference to, or quote, work other than that of the Entrant, must properly acknowledge this and the Organisers reserve the right not to publish any piece they feel does not do this.

16. Entries must not contain defamatory, obscene, offensive or any other unsuitable material. Entries must be suitable to be published by the Organisers to audiences of all ages. All entries are moderated and any that are unsuitable will not be published.

17. By submitting your piece, you are acknowledging that you have the consent of anyone who is identifiable in your contribution. Scottish Book Trust reserves the right to remove pieces from their website if someone identifiable in a contribution objects to the way they are characterised.

18. Entries must not contain anything which is calculated to bring the Organisers into disrepute.

19. Entrants retain the copyright in their entries but grant Scottish Book Trust a non-exclusive, perpetual licence to use their entry for publication in printed and digital format (including on the Scottish Book Trust website) as well as for any promotional purpose.

20. Entrants permit Scottish Book Trust to edit or change entries in any way it may in its sole discretion consider necessary for the purposes of use in the competition and the uses set out in the clause above.

21. By entering the competition, Entrants warrant that they have legal capacity to enter the competition and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

22. A selection of entries may be used online by the Organisers throughout the competition. The Organisers may approach a selection of Entrants about possibilities for broadcast (both stories and interviews) if there is media interest during and following the campaign. This will not be a part of, or have any influence on, the judging process. The names of each Entrant whose entry is published, used online or broadcast will be made public. Entrants must agree to take part in any publicity during or post the campaign if required.

23. Selection for publication in the book will be based on the following criteria:

24. The editorial panel will also aim to ensure a diversity of pieces, representative of the mix of entries received – this may be reflected in length, complexity, form and language.

25. Entries will be judged through the following process

Stage one: A team from Scottish Book Trust will review all entries and create a longlist of entries based on the criteria set out above.

Stage two: An editorial panel convened by Scottish Book Trust will review all shortlisted entries and select the pieces to be published in a book, based on the criteria set out above.

26. The winners will be contacted by a member of Scottish Book Trust team following the panel’s meeting. If the winner cannot be contacted after reasonable attempts have been made to do so, the Organisers reserve the right to offer the prize to the next best entry.

27. The selected pieces will be published in a book produced by Scottish Book Trust. There will be no payment for any story that is published, used online or broadcast. The resulting book will be shared on our website and distributed across the country as part of Book Week Scotland 2024. No profit will be made from its publication.

28. The Organisers’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

29. The Organisers reserve the right to disqualify any entry which breaches any of these Terms and Conditions.

30. The Organisers reserve the right to amend these Terms and Conditions or cancel this competition at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside its control. In this event, a notice will be posted on Scottish Book Trust’s website.

31. The Organisers, their sub-contractors, subsidiaries and/or agencies cannot accept any responsibility whatsoever for any technical failure or malfunction or any other problem with any server, Internet access, system, the post or otherwise which may result in an entry being lost or not properly registered or recorded. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt.

32. Entries must not infringe any UK laws.

33. These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of Scotland.